March 27th

March 27, 2013

By

SUE DAVIS

TROY - The Vermont Secretary of Education Armando Vilaseca has thrown his weight behind attempts to pass a school bond for the Troy Elementary School.
In a letter to North Country Schools Superintendent Dr. Robert Kern, Vilaseca reiterated the list of items sought to be improved by the school board, including traffic flow, drainage problems, a poorly insulated roof, aging heating and ventilation systems, non-compliance with safety codes and security directives, an old sprinkler system, and an electrical system badly in need of upgrades.

March 27, 2013

By

CHRISTOPHER ROY

LOWELL â€“ Voters will have the opportunity May 7 to reconsider sheriff patrols in Lowell.
In Vermont, the towns pay for sheriff patrols and the state pays for the operational costs. Voters at their annual town meeting earlier this month rejected by 59 to 56 the Orleans County Sheriff's Department budget of $11,186.22. That money would have given residents five hours of patrol time a week. Now, with the exception of the state police, there is no law enforcement in town.

March 27, 2013

By

LAURA CARPENTER

NEWPORT â€“ The Northeast Kingdom has received foreign trade zone status, which allows qualifying companies to import or export products without paying tariffs and taxes.
This designation will benefit businesses, including the foreign companies planning to open in Newport as part of a Bill Stenger and partners' regional economic development initiative, the biotechnology company (AnC Bio Vermont), and the German company Menck Window Systems.
The designation is expected to spur economic development and ease constraints on international commerce.

March 27, 2013

By

ED BARBER

DERBY CENTER â€“ The North Country Union Junior High School Board created a Community Relations Committee to oversee the creation, distribution and analysis of a community survey for residents of towns with students attending the school.
Board member Maggie Griffith initially raised concerns over the scope and nature of the survey and was joined by new member Scott Boskind, who asked, â€śOnce completed, how are the results used? Certain responses cancel themselves out.... Is the survey necessarily beneficial?â€ť

March 27, 2013

By

CHRISTOPHER ROY

NEW YORK â€“ The Investigation Discovery Network will be launching a new reality television series about the minds of murderers, tentatively called "Murder in Mind." Producers have been looking for murders where the motive is not always clear. One such case, at least in the eyes of program officials, is the death of Charles Billis at the hands of his wife Christine.
"The premise of the show is about the psychological workings behind murders," explained Melissa Peltier, co-owner of MPH Entertainment. "We're looking for cases that are different; where you ask the questions what, why."

March 27, 2013

By

LAURA CARPENTER

NEWPORT â€“ The Orleans County Sheriff's Department filed suit against Roger Pion and his parents for damage sustained when Roger destroyed the sheriffâ€™s Â departmentâ€™s property.
Roger Pion, 34, is accused of using his parents red Case MX255 tractor to drive through town to the sheriffâ€™s department parking area on the Derby Road and drove over the top of seven vehicles, crushing and destroying the cruisers, a van and equipment inside.

March 26th

March 26, 2013

March 25th

March 25, 2013

By

LAURA CARPENTER

NEWPORT â€“ A consumer survey is circulating in Orleans County to find out what draws people to Newport, what shoppers would like to see, and shopping habits. The results will help local businesses evolve, if they choose, to meet demands, and to entice new businesses based on what residents and visitors want.
A similar survey was conducted in 2008, but it is helpful to conduct surveys every few years, explained Bill McMaster, community resource development specialist with UVM (University of Vermont).
Other groups are also doing their own surveys, including NEK99%.